Friday, February 3, 2012

I wasn't able to muster up enough excitement to make last week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe - Broth Braised Potatoes, but this week's Gorgonzola Apple Quiche did appeal to my taste buds. With the classic pairing of Gorgonzola, apples, and walnuts, and cream and eggs, all baked in a buttery tart shell...what's not to like?

The fact that it took me three days to prepare.

Failing to read the recipe ahead of time was my first mistake, which led to my second mistake in attempting to prepare this recipe after work on Tuesday. Had I read the recipe, I would have known the following:

Dough needs to chill in the refrigerator before rolling it out - at least 3 hours;

After rolling the dough and placing in the buttered tart pan, it then needs to chill or freeze for another hour before baking;

The crust partially bakes for about 20 minutes, and then needs to cool before filling;

Once filled, the quiche bakes about 30 minutes;

Add the time to make and roll the dough, saute the onions, and prepare the filling, we were looking at a midnight dinner;

Change that to 1:00 a.m. to allow for photos.

So, I allowed the dough to rest overnight in the refrigerator. The next evening, I rolled the dough, placed it in the tart pans, put the pans back in the refrigerator, and then baked the crust. I prepared the filling and baked the quiche the next morning, and we finally had dinner that night!

Partially baked and cooled tart shells

Sauteed onions

Sauteed onions and Gorgonzola sprinkled over the bottom of the shell

A sprinkling of walnuts, the egg and cream mixture, and sliced apples on top

Add a green salad, and dinner is served!

Newfy Notes: Read the recipe ahead of time!Start this recipe on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Dorie instructs to peel and dice the apples, and scatter over the bottom of the crust with the onion and cheese (before adding the eggs and cream). I thinly sliced the apple and arranged the slices on top of the egg and cream before baking. Also, walnuts are optional, but I really liked the flavor and crunch. The Flavor Bible supports the classic pairing of Gorgonzola with apples, but especially with PEARS and WALNUTS. John thought the onions were a bit overpowering and, in fact, they are not listed as a pairing with this cheese.

Mom's Tasting Notes: "Yummy! Really liked the quiche. Beautifully browned crust. Perhaps you could photograph it on glass from the underside to show the great color. The pear* and cheese are a gorgeous combination - and don't know what it was, but the little 'tidbits' of something* in the filling were a very nice touch . It's a winner! Don't know if size* matters in this case, but thought yours was perfect for lunch. Probably too small for dinner and too large for an appetizer. Minis would be great appetizers and perhaps whole pie size slices just right for dinner with a salad. Thanks for letting me be your tester."

*I used apples, but pears would also be lovely; the tidbits were walnuts; and size matters, in all cases ;-)

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group, dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing. I highly recommend adding it to your cookbook collection if you haven't already!

Yes, I have finally learned to start all recipe which call for pastry dough at least one day in advance. Even if I do have the time, making the whole thing from start to finish in one day would just seem like way too much effort.

Looks like your effort paid off though because your quiches look great. I somehow missed the walnut suggestion because that sounds right up my alley. Next time.

You have a lucky tester! Looks like these turned out great and I especially like your slices of apple. I took the easy way out, skipped the crust and whipped it up in 20 minutes. But the effort of making a tart is worth it. I did a pear sort of version in the fall - but I really think the apples shined in the dish.

I love your rectangular pan. It looks especially elegant. I added some walnuts and also liked flavor boast. I make lots of pastry crusts and usually make in the morning, let chill while I'm at work, roll it out and let it chill while I walk the dog, and voila. Anyway, there's a lot to like about this recipe. Glad it was a success for you too.

It's a nice stroke to my ego to learn that you (sometimes) don't read instructions. I usually substitute pears for apples - they always taste better (but then, my maiden name is "Perry" and my grandfather grew pears in Alabama. When recipes call for onions, I always substitute with either shallots or leeks - because onions just don't agree with me. All that said, this recipe looks amazing and I will be sure to try it! Gorgeous photos as always!

I agree - the apple slices are beautiful on top! I experimented with a different tart recipe that took about forty five minutes to pull off with no chill time. I added walnuts to one of my quiches and loved them.